Reading Genres

• What is a genre?

– A genre is a type of

literary work identified by

its design or purpose.

Reading Genres

Genres are

divided into

Two Main

Categories:

Fiction and Nonfiction

Characteristics of Fiction Genres

A made up story

Can tell about things that

could happen

Is read for fun

Characters may be like real

people or imaginary

Characteristics of Nonfiction Genres

Has facts that can be

checked and proven

The author is an expert on

this information

Is read to gain information

on a subject

It is TRUE

Text is

further

divided

according

to what

they have

in common:

These are

called GENRES!

Types of Fiction Genres

Traditional Literature

Fantasy

Science Fiction

Realistic Fiction

Historical Fiction

Mystery

Types of Nonfiction Genres

Informational

Biography and Autobiography

Autobiography

Poetry

Letters and Journals

Memoirs

Essays

Let’s take a

quick look at

the different

types of

genres…

Now let’s

look deeper

into…

Nonfiction

GENRE!

Nonfiction Genres are About Real

People- i.e. President Obama or

Mr. Stewart

Places- i.e. London, England or

MMS Gymnasium

Ideas- i.e. Knowledge or Worship

Experiences- i.e. Changing

schools or winning a contest

Definitions of Each Type

• Informational- Works written for

newspapers, magazines,

television, or radio

• Letters and Journals– Contain

personal thoughts and reflections

• Biography-The life story of

someone written by another

person

• Autobiography- The writer’s

account of his/her own life

Definitions of Each Type

• Memoirs– The writer’s record of

experiences from of his/her own

life

• Essays- Express author’s

personal feelings on a certain

topic

Definitions of Each Type

• Articles

– Small in length

– Focus on the facts of a subject

– Express an author’s bias (their

strong opinions on a topic)

Purpose of Nonfiction Texts

• To Give An Opinion- Attempts to

convince the reader to think about or act

on something or accept a writer’s

opinion using evidence for support

• To Inform or Explain– Presents facts,

discusses ideas, or explains a process

• To Entertain– Conveys a real

experience

Purpose of Nonfiction Texts

• Informational/Explanatory

Writing

– Presents facts, discusses ideas, or

explains a process